Fishing float



March 13, 1951 w. SQGLE 2,544,968

FISHING FLOAT Filed Feb. '7, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wf/fia b INVENTOR,

ATTORNEY March 13, 1951 w. SEIGLE 2,544,968

FISHING FLOAT Filed Feb. '7, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR,

. BY FIG.4 Q ,W/MZW ATTORNEY Patented Mar, 13, 1951 PATENT OFFFIQE'msnmo Foo-in WilliantSeigle, Dallas-, Tex; ,-.,.ApplioationFehruary 7,1949, Serial 74927 1 v .Thepresent invention" relates tofloats-'fOrfiShing lines and morepartioulafly f-flbatsior night fishing.I The principatobject of, the invention, to provide afloat whichZLw-illautomatically become illuminated; when. discomposed: by a 'fishbite. on

the-line to. which ,the 'fioat is attached;

.The float of thepresent'invention is particularly designed for use on.casting; lines andlthere: fore, an important,..objec.t Of. the.invention is to provide aseii-illuminating fioatweight to. be

practical,asacastinglineflbat. Q The float otthe present invention is animprovement overthe float. covered. by aUnited States-patent numbered?23291190.. which was issued. to me. on September. 21j, I943? .The floatoithe patentand thespresent float both carry alight bulbandanelectric.battery.

In use, it. hasebeen iou'nd .that the light bulb of thepatent. is-proneto. flicker. as the line fbeing reeled in... I!hereore,,. an" object ofthe present. invention is. to. provide a ,1ightfbulb carrying.mechanism; which holds the bulb. in .steadycontact. with the. battery,once. the float is disposed at an angle to make the contact, and

inwhich. normal bobbingand ji gling, inthe .water willvfail to makethelight'flicken.

,- A furtherobject is. to. provide a float of this class which is sodesigned that. battery and bulb replacement is-a. simple operation.

Other objects will. be apparent from thefoll'owingdescription. whentakenin conjunction with ioolamp 4. further includes a pair of. elongated Ispring arms orwings'fi and '1 which are-formed 'arcuately" torresiliently embrace the major peripheral portion: of a conventionaldryecell electricr battery it. The reference numeral 9 I5 indicatestheoentral. pole or upper end contact --terminal' of; the." battery;

The sleeveof the. holder-l extends SOmB'T-diS- tance above'sthe. upperend Ill ofv the-clamp 4, and adjacent; its upper end;v the sleeve isbridged zoiby al -transverse pivotpin, H. A lamp orbulb 25. flash. lightbulb M. The carrier I2 is so-mounted the accompanying two sheets ofdrawings.

. whereinz.

.Eigure .I is a verticahsectional view showing the device in theposition it. normally assumes when floating in water, the sectionbeing'taken along the longitudinal axis thereof;

Eigure..2 is a. similar. view showing: the iioat-v in the. position itvmayassume' after being tilted vvby afish .biteonthe line; v Figure 3 anenlarged vertical sectional. view detailing. the. battery. holder andits associated 1 elements;

Figure 4' is a top view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3;

Figureo is. aplan view looking at the top of the battery holder, per se;and,

Figure 6 -is avertical sectional. view taken substantially alon the line66 of Fig. 5.

Like characters of reference designate like that it may gravitationallyswing-the .bulb; M toward and away fromthe. contact. end 9. of the.battery 8, according toatheposition. at which .the holder 1is.,disposed. wIn otherv words, when .thehulb... M. is. uppermost, thecarrier. l.2 will gravitateto swingthe. bulb toward the battery, but.when the: holder is. so disposed that the battenynoontactend is. abovethepivot pin |l,...the carrier.willgravitationally. swing. the. bulbaway .,-from..thebattery. The. upper end. of the holder sleeve isprovided, with one or more inturned -flanges t5. which. act as astop forthe carrier 1.2,, when. the carrier isswung awayfrom the battery. j

7 As a-bufier or shock absorber to prevent the blow of the fallingcarrier, [2 from injuring.. the ,contactterminaLQ of the battery or. thecontact terminal l6, of the bulb, and. to also act as an electricalconductor between the. two, terminalsqthere is provided a block I!of..insu1a.ting material" havinga spring wire l8- passing therethrough.The block is pressed into the holder sleeve upon the upper end 10 of theclamp 4', and. beneath a downwardly facing shoulder I'Qiormed inthesleeve (Figs. landz).

The wire [8" has its'lower. end in constantcom parts in those figures ofthe drawings in which they occur. a

' In. the drawings:

. The reference numeral .1 indicates, as a .whole,

sides 2 and 3. The holder Ids-made ofresilient,

tact-with the battery terminal 9, and its upper end. projects slightlyabove the block l1, and is bent to-iorm. a partial convolution of ahelix. This upper end of the wire. I8 is positioned in therpath.oiflt-heterminal l6 of the bulb I4.

It is obvious that jostling or jigglin the holder tend its-supportedelements might well rock or teeter-the carrier l'2 on the -pivot pinH-,= even 3 though the pin is above the battery. This of course wouldresult in the bulb flashing on and off. In order to stabilize thecarrier l2 to hold it against such jiggling action, a bent spring wireclip is provided inside the holder l.

The clip 20 has a fold formed by two arallel sides 2| and 22 (Fig. 6).which is adapted to be forced upwardly to rietionallv im inge the arm Iof the clamp 4. The clip further has a central bend 23 and a verticalside 24 which is adapted to be simultaneously forced upwardly inside theclamp 4 between the armsfi and I so that the side 24 is frictionallynressedoutwardlv a ainst -hollow air-tight -body; an electric batteryfirmly the inside surface of the arm 6 The clip 20 further includes a cntral upwardly ext ndin post or rod portion 25 t e up er end of whichpresses resili ntly against the outer rounded edge 26 of the carri rboss IS. The boss ed e 26 rocks against the rod 25 when th carrier [2rocks on its pivot pin II, and the free and unre tricted mo ment of thecarrier is thereby dampened =sufllciently to nre entiig ling.

The float of the present inv nt on further includes a ho low sectionalhou in to enclo t e above descri ed b tterv holder and its a ociatedelem nts. This housing includes a central 'section 30 which is ooenended and tubulan'and into which the holder 1 may be snu lv insertedwhen its sleeve sides 2 and 3 are pressed toget e The hou ing furtherincludes a substantially dome-sha ed can 3! ada ted to fit with a waterand air ti ht seal over the end of t e section 39 lyine nearest the liht bulb M. The cap '31 is made of some suitable o au e material;preferably some plast c composition, and its rounded= outer end is rovded with a transparent semispherical window 32. g g

The housing further includes another domeshaoed can 33 adapted to fitover the other end of t e mid l housing'section 30 with an air tightseal therewith. I

The wei ht of the mechanism n the housing is so distributed, that thedevice will float in water at substantially the osition shown in Fig. 1.In this fi ure and in Fig- 2, the upper surface. of the water is deicted as being the wavy line 34. Whenthe device is in the position shownin Fig. l, t e pivot pin II lies below the contact end of the battery,and therefore the b' lb carrier has therefore gravitated away from theblock H. Cons q ently, there is no travel of electrical current to thebulb. The two cans 3| and'33 are exteriorly provided with line engaginloops .or eyes 35 through which a fishingline 36 may be passed, or towhich the line may be tied.

In Fig. 1. the left hand vertical portion of the line 36 is the portionthat leads to the fish hook and bait. while the right hand verticalportion leads to the fishing pole or casting rod. not shown.

the position of Fig. l to a position somewhat simiis b low the ivot pinI l. When-this occurs; the

holder l2 will gravitate toward the block I} and thecontact terminal l6of the bulb will be swung into contact with the electrical circuit fromthe battery to the filament in the bulb. The light 'bulb willthereforebe illuminated and will be visible from a distance through thetransparent window 32.

These line portions are respectively indicated by a the referencenumerals 31 and 38. I

, --When a fish bites the hook on the end of the line portion 31, theentire device is tilted from 5 6 lar to that of Fig. 2. At least,- thefish if snagged on the book, will tilt the device until the batterymoves tion.

and cushioning means between the bulb and the -battery file of thispatent:

anchored within said body; a bulb carrier pivotally mounted adjacent thecontact end of the battery;..an electric light bulb supported by, thecarrier in a position to be swung into andout of circuit making contactwith the. battery; and

frictional means for. stabilizing the carrier to prevent teetering, solong as the bulb is in cir cuit making contact with the battery.

2. Structure asspecified in claim 1, and means for cushioning the blowof the carrier as it moves the bulb into circuit making contactposition.

3. An illuminating fishing float, comprising: a

Ibattery; a holder for the battery in the form of "a longitudinallysplit sleeve; a longitudinal extension of the sleeve projecting beyondthe electrical contact end of the battery; a bulb carrier pivotallysupported by the ,extensionto gravitationally move toward and away fromthe battery;

7 an electric light bulb operatively supported by the carrier with itscontact ,end presented toward the battery; a tubate housing sectionaround the sleeve; a removable cap adapted to engage thehousing sectionin a water tight manner, and to house the carrier and the bulb; and asecond cap .adapted to similarly engage the other end. of the housingsection, and adapted to form an air chamber normally maintaining thedevice afloat in 1 water.

4. Structure asspecified in claim 3, and means for stabilizing thebulb'carrier to prevent teetering, so long as the bulb is in circuitmaking contact with the battery.

5. Structure as specified in claim 4, and means for cushioning the blowof the bulb carrier as it 'moves the bulbv into circuit making contactposition.

6. Structure as specifiedin claimfi, and means for cushioning theblow-of the bulb carrier as. it

the bulb into circuit making contact posi- .7. An illuminating'fishingfloat, comprising: a hollow air-tight body; an electric battery firmlyanchored within said body.;.-a bulb carrier pivot- .al-ly mountedadjacent the electrical contact end of the battery; an electric lightbulb supported by the carrier in a position to be swung into and out ofcircuit making contact with .the battery;

UNITED STATES PA E T a Date Num er Name 1,438,179 Hollander Dec. 12,1922 if 2,201,588 Kuhns; May 21, 1940 7 2,329,790 h Seigle Sept. 21,1943

